Reversible propeller



June 14, 1949.

E. R. KENNEDY ET AL 2,472,836 REVERSIBLE PROPELLER Filed July 31, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Invent/2r Edbfiesffikakea? jowelil 6%7z Flea? June 14,1949 E. R. KENNEDY ET AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1946 liver/tor.Zarrzsffi. ji eruzeiy jazz/ell .F

Patented June 14, 1949 UNITE!) STATES 01F FillCiE ZREWTERSIBLEPRQHEIZIJER :Earnest lt ilfienneily and MQHZE- neliancaflounts, 91110The present invention relates to mew and vuse ful iimpronements inpropellers and more particularly tomiarine propellers and the inventionhas for its primary object toprovide means for reversing the pitch ofthe propeller blades to thus protide for a forward and reversing drive*for the propellers.

An important object of the present invention is to provide ahydraulically operated reversing mechanism for the blades iof thepropeller.

rfurtther 10121801 of the intention is o anroxid a {device of thischaracter of simple and practical construction. which is eilicient andreliable in operation, melatively inexpensive to mannfactpreand'othenwise well adapted for the puma-fies tier which the same isintended.

@ther objects and advantages zreside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal Sectional view through the hub of thepropeller and showing the control valve for reversing the pitch of theblades of the propeller.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 1of the coaxial fluid inlet and outlet tubes and Figure 4 is aperspective view of the reciprocating piston for reversing the blade.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,the numeral 5 designates the propeller hub generally which includes aring member 6 closed at its ends by end plates 1 and 8 secured to thering by bolts or the like 9.

A pair of propeller blades are shown at l which are formed at theirinner ends with a flanged stub-shaft ll journaled in diametricallyopposite sides of the ring 6. A pin l2 projects inwardly at the innerend of the stub-shaft ll eccentrically to the axis thereof and isreceived in a circumferential groove 13 of a piston l4, preferably ofsquare-shaped construction as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing and isslidably positioned in a correspondingly shaped chamber l formed on theinside of the ring 6.

A tube I'B extends through the end plates 1 and 8 and also through acentral opening I! in the piston M for sliding action of the piston-inthe chamber on the tube. The tube is formed with .a :pair,ofzlateralgiorts and & committ calling with the .chamber 4 5 po -si esides at the pis on.

n eylmdnical salve 22D isslidablymmntedin iii-he tube .16 having lonitudinally extending na saee therein extending EJ310111 end to {and othe valve communicating with a'pair {Qf lateral has sages 1-22 :and areadjacent the front and ref th rams, the enter ends of the massa es #2:and 22$ terminating in circumstantial stoo es 21 and 25,, respectivelyin the ralae remotes ril iant 25 are arranged to alternate vre i te withthe port N3 of thaedmhe E fi- The rear end of the valve 20 isformed-trim a 'lmre tudina passagezfi adiaeent oneisideitheneof withwhich a pair rof ile eral passages and .28 connnuniaate the rear end efth passage e 5 beingiopen at the (end i f t e salve Z'fQI' communieatingwith the tube Hi. The lateral passages 21 and 28 are arranged toalternately register with the port I!) of the tube l6.

An apertured guide or spider 29 is secured in the tube I 6 behind thevalve 20 and through which a smaller inner tube 3|] extends forpositioning longitudinally in the larger outer tube I 6, the front endof the tube 30 being slidably received in the rear end of the passage2|. A coil spring 3| is positioned on the tube 30 between the guide 29and the rear end of the valve 20 and a coil spring 32 is positionedbetween the front end of the valve 20 and a plug 33 secured in the frontend of the tube I6, the springs 3| and 32 cooperating to maintain thevalve 20 in a neutral position in the tube It with the passages 22 and23 out of registry with the port l8 and with the passages 21 and 28 outof registry with the port l9.

In the operation of the device the tubes l6 and 30 communicate with acommon source of fluid pressure having suitable control means (notshown) for supplying fluid under pressure to the chamber l5 througheither of the tubes, the other tube constituting a return line.

When fluid pressure is supplied to the inner tube 30 the fluid willenter the passage 2| for acting against the front end of the valve 2ll vwhereby the valve is moved rearwardly in the tube I6 to register thepassage 22 with the port l8 and exert its influenceagainst the frontside of the piston to move the same rearwardly in the chamber IS.

The rearward movement of the piston will carry the pin l2 with it, whichby reason of its eccentric position at the inner end of the shaft IIwill rotate the shaft to reverse the position of the 3 blades 10. At thesame time the passage 21 will register with the port l9 and permit theexhausting of the fluid from behind the piston through the tube IE tothe supply.

Release of the pressure against the front end of the valve will enablethe springs 3| and 32 to return the valve to its neutral position andthe blades will be held in their adjusted position.

A reverse movement of the blades is obtained by admitting fiuid underpressure through the tube [6 behind the valve 20 thereby sliding thevalve forwardly to register the passage 28 with the port I9 to subjectthe rear of the piston l4 to fluid pressure to thus slide the pistonforwardly in the chamber l5 and at the same time register the passage 23with the port I8 for return of the fluid at the front end of the chamberthrough the tube 30.

The hub 5 may be connected to a drive shaft (not shown) in any suitablemanner.

In View of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of theconstruction, operation and advantages of the device will be quiteapparent to those skilled in the art. A more detailed description isaccordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

We claim:

A reversible propeller comprising a housing having a chamber therein, apair of propeller blades each including a root journaled indiametrically opposite sides of the housing, a piston 4 working in thechamber, interconnecting means between the roots and the piston operableto transmit reciprocating movement of the piston to rotary movement ofthe root to vary the pitch of the blades, a tube extending through thehousing having ports communicating with the chamber at opposite sides ofthe piston and adapted to subject the piston to fluid pressure, saidpiston being slidable on the tube, a sliding reversing valve in the tubecontrolling the ports in the tube to oppositely actuate the piston, saidvalve having a passage therethrough, and a fluid pressure supply pipeconnected to the passage at one end of the valve to supply fluidpressure behind an opposite end of the valve to move the valve in 'onedirection, the first named end of the valve being subjected to fluidpressure in the tube to move the valve in an opposite direction, andsaid tube and said supply pipe alternately providing fluid pressuresupply and return conduits for the chamber upon reversing of the valve.

EARNEST R. KENNEDY. LOWELL E. KENNEDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,802,808 De Narde Apr. 28, 19312,229,058 Dicks Jan. 21, 1941 2,244,770 Englesson June 10, 19412,282,297 Keller May 5, 1942 2,355,039 Eves Aug. 1, 1944 2,391,629Keller Dec. 25, 1945 2,413,439 Drake Dec. 31, 1946

